Information communication system

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1 , 2 , or 3 further comprising the step of echo canceling said signals.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 3 , wherein said first baud rate differs in magnitude from said second baud rate.

Claim 9

Apparatus for simultaneously transmitting data at a symmetrical transmission rate in two directions on a bidirectional medium subject to interference, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal comprising a carrier, modulated by said data, in one direction on said medium; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal comprising a carrier, modulated by said data, in the other direction on said medium; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are spectrally shaped and echo canceled, such that said signals are transmitted in partially overlapped passbands, the passbands being overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said medium are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further that interference caused by said first and second signals and said signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said medium below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 10

Apparatus for simultaneously transmitting data at a symmetrical transmission rate in two directions on a bidirectional medium subject to interference, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal comprising a carrier, modulated by said data, in one direction on said medium; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal comprising a carrier, modulated by said data, in the other direction on said medium; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are spectrally shaped and echo canceled, such that said signals are transmitted in partially overlapped passbands, the passbands being overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said medium are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further that interference caused by said first and second signals and said signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said medium below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 11

Apparatus for simultaneously communicating data in two directions at a symmetric rate on a bidirectional medium subject to interference, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal in one direction on said medium wherein the first signal is generated by a first data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a first plurality of carriers; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal in the other direction on said medium wherein the second signal is generated by a second data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a second plurality of carriers; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are spectrally shaped prior to transmission such that the plurality of passbands of said signals are partially overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said medium are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further such that interference caused by said first and second signals and said signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said medium below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 12

Apparatus for simultaneously communicating data in two directions at a symmetric rate on a bidirectional medium subject to interference, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal in one direction on said medium wherein the first signal is generated by a first data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a first plurality of carriers; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal in the other direction on said medium wherein the second signal is generated by a second data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a second plurality of carriers; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are spectrally shaped prior to transmission such that the plurality of passbands of said signals are partially overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said medium are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further such that interference caused by said first and second signals and said signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said medium below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein each of said transceivers further comprises a channel coder, a pre-equalizer, a line coder, a receiver front end, an adaptive feed forward equalizer, and a decision device.

Claim 18

Apparatus using pulse amplitude modulation and echo canceling for simultaneously transmitting data at a symmetrical transmission rate in two directions on a bidirectional medium subject to interference, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting data on said medium in one direction; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting data on said medium in the other direction; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that transmissions on said medium are spectrally shaped and echo canceled, such that said signals are transmitted in partially overlapped passbands, the passbands being overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said medium are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further that interference caused by said first and second signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said medium below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 19

Apparatus using pulse amplitude modulation and echo canceling for simultaneously transmitting data at a symmetrical transmission rate in two directions on a bidirectional medium subject to interference, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting data on said medium in one direction; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting data on said medium in the other direction; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that transmissions on said medium are spectrally shaped and echo canceled, such that said signals are transmitted in partially overlapped passbands, the passbands being overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said medium are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further that interference caused by said first and second signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said medium below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 1 , 2 , 5 , 9 , or 10 wherein said spectral shaping comprises transmitting said signals with unequal transmit power in said directions.

Claim 21

Apparatus for simultaneously communicating data in two directions at a symmetric rate over a twisted copper pair in a cable subject to ingress and egress crosstalk coupling between other twisted copper pairs in said cable, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal in one direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the first signal is generated by a first data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a first carrier; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal in the other direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the second signal is generated by a second data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a second carrier; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are echo canceled and spectrally shaped, such that said signals are transmitted in partially overlapped passbands, the passbands being overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said cable are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further that interference caused by said first and second signals and said signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said cable below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 22

Apparatus for simultaneously communicating data in two directions at a symmetric rate over a twisted copper pair in a cable subject to ingress and egress crosstalk coupling between other twisted copper pairs in said cable, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal in one direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the first signal is generated by a first data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a first carrier; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal in the other direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the second signal is generated by a second data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a second carrier; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are echo canceled and spectrally shaped, such that said signals are transmitted in partially overlapped passbands, the passbands being overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to interference caused by signals of the same kind being transmitted on said cable are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further that interference caused by said first and second signals and said signals of the same kind does not reduce performance margins in different services being transmitted on said cable below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 23

Apparatus for simultaneously communicating data in two directions at a symmetric rate over a twisted copper pair in a cable of twisted copper pairs subject to ingress and egress crosstalk coupling into and from other twisted copper pairs in said cable, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal in one direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the first signal is generated by a first data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a first plurality of carriers; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal in the other direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the second signal is generated by a second data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a second plurality of carriers; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are spectrally shaped prior to transmission such that the plurality of passbands of said signals are partially overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to self-crosstalk are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further such that egress crosstalk from said twisted copper pair does not reduce performance margins in different services deployed in said other twisted copper pairs below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 24

Apparatus for simultaneously communicating data in two directions at a symmetric rate over a twisted copper pair in a cable of twisted copper pairs subject to ingress and egress crosstalk coupling into and from other twisted copper pairs in said cable, said apparatus comprising: (1) a first transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a first signal in one direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the first signal is generated by a first data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a first plurality of carriers; and (2) a second transceiver, including an echo canceler, transmitting a second signal in the other direction on said twisted copper pair wherein the second signal is generated by a second data stream at said symmetric rate modulating a second plurality of carriers; said transceivers being so constructed and arranged that said signals are spectrally shaped prior to transmission such that the plurality of passbands of said signals are partially overlapped in such manner that performance margins due to self-crosstalk are greater than performance margins in a first design specification and further such that egress crosstalk from said twisted copper pair does not reduce performance margins in different services deployed in said other twisted copper pairs below performance margins in a second design specification.

Claim 25

The apparatus according to claim 6 , 11 , 13 , 14 or 7 wherein a second transmit power spectral density characterizing said second transceiver is swapped with a first transmit power spectral density characterizing said first transceiver.

Claim 26

The method of claim 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 or 10 , further comprising the step of swapping a second transmit power spectral density characterizing transmission of said data in said second direction on said medium with a first transmit power spectral density characterizing transmission of said data in said first direction on said medium.

Claim 27

The method of claim 3 , wherein said first baud rate is equal to said second baud rate.

Claim 28

The apparatus according to claim 6 , 11 , 13 , 14 , or 7 wherein said spectrally shaped signals include at least one spectrally shaped stopband, one spectrally shaped passband, and one spectrally shaped transition band.

Claim 29

The apparatus according to claim 6 , 11 , 13 , 14 , or 7 wherein said spectrally shaped signals are transmitted in said directions with unequal transmit power.

Claim 30

The method of claim 1 , 2 , 3 , 9 , or 10 wherein said performance margins in said first design specification are determined based on the level of interference caused by said different services being transmitted on said medium.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 6 , 11 , 13 , 14 , or 7 wherein said performance margins in said first design specification are determined based on the level of interference caused by said different services being transmitted on said medium.

Claim 32

The method of claim 16 wherein said swapping step is performed automatically upon the sensing of an interference level that exceeds a predetermined preselected level.

Claim 33

The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said signals are discrete multi-tone modulated signals.